Detroit Rock City

Sometimes to be tough you need to be tender

Detroit Rock City is a 1999 comedy film staring Edward Furlong, Guiseppe Andrews, James DeBello, and Sam Huntington. Set in January of 1978, the film follows four high school students who are trying to gain entry to a sold-out KISS concert. The film was a box office flop and was met with mixed reviews from critics, but among KISS fans it has become a Cult Classic.

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Tropes used in Detroit Rock City include:

• Berserk Button: When Kenny and Bobby destroy Hawk's Love Gun 8-track, it prompts Hawk to retaliate with violence. His friends quickly follow suit.
• Chekhov's Gun: Trip's stolen wallet.
• Cool Car: Averted. The car that the boys steal from Lex's mom to get to the concert is a brown Volvo sedan.
• The Ditz: Trip.
• Garage Band: Mystery
• In-Joke: At one point in the film Christine comments that "Disco is so huge right now it wouldn't surprise me if KISS did a disco song," prompting dismissive laughs from the guys. One year after the film takes place KISS would release the disco song "I Was Made For Loving You", much to the dismay of many of their fans.
• Jerk Jock: Chongo - but then again his aggression is understandable since Trip tried to rob his little brother.
• Large Ham Announcer: The MC in the strip club, played by adult film star Ron Jeremy.
• The Movie: The working title for Detroit Rock City was The KISS Movie.
• Mrs. Robinson: Shannon Tweed (Gene Simmons' wife) plays a cougar who pays Hawk for sex.
• My Beloved Smother: Jam's chain-smoking, bible-thumping mom who burns the gang's KISS tickets. She doesn't even let him get dressed in private.
• The Seventies
• Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll: The backstage area of the KISS concert is portrayed as a hive of hedonism and debauchery, complete with a jacuzzi full of beautiful topless women.
• The Stoner: All of them to different degrees.
• Testosterone Poisoning: Kenny and Bobby are a pair of cocky, aggressively macho disco fans.
• Theme Naming: The female characters Beth and Christine both share their names with KISS songs.
• Toronto Doubling: Most of the movie was filmed in Toronto, despite being set in Detroit.
• Vomit Indiscretion Shot: In an attempt to overcome his stage fright, Hawk drinks a large amount of alcohol before performing his strip tease. This results in him throwing up onstage and filling up an entire pitcher.
• Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Lex is terrified of dogs, something that he has to overcome to save Christine.
• You Can Leave Your Hat On: Hawk does a striptease to Kiss's "Strutter".